Technology of Education Journal
Year:2010 | Volume:4 | Issue:4|Papers Count:8

The aim of this research is to investigate the relationship between English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teachers and students’ attitude toward learning needs and teaching activities. Mismatch between teachers and students’ expectations from ESP courses can result in undesired outcomes. In this study, the attitudes of 6 teachers and 60 students of Software Engineering toward ESP learning needs were surveyed by a questionnaire. The relationship between the ideas of these two groups was investigated through t-test analysis. The results show that ESP teachers and students think more alike about textbooks, and the incorporation of information processed through discourse and genre analysis, while recognizable differences can be observed in their view toward teaching activities, the place of language skills and components, and critical thinking. It is discussed that pedagogical mechanisms for applying the relevant principles of ‘rights analysis’ and ‘strategic planning’ in English classrooms need to be devised and appropriately applied in ESP programs.

The objective of this study was to validate the Iranian version of the Social Achievement Goal Orientation Scale and test the Social Achievement Goal Orientation theory in the context of Iranian students. A total of 403 Iranian high school students completed a Social Achievement Goal Orientation Scale and an Achievement Goal Questionnaire. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the hypothesized model of social achievement goals. The fit of the proposed three-factor model was promising and moderate support for the three factor structure of social goal orientation was found using scores from an abbreviated 13-item SAGOS. Graded Response Model showed an information function that was peaked at the upper end of the scale, indicating that severe social goal orientation is measured with most precision. Convergent validity for the new measure of social achievement goals was established. Findings generally supported the trichotomous framework of the social achievement goal orientation theory with Iranian students. Consistent with the academic goal orientation theory, findings indicated that social mastery and performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals had positive relationships with academic goals.

The term NanoSteels is called to some special steels consisting of nanosize phases (i.e. ferrite, cementite, and austenite), grains, and carbides (e.g. vanadium and M2C) produced by nanotechnology. It is proof that exotic physical, mechanical, and magnetic properties can be obtained from nanostructured steels. Fabrication methods of nanostructure steels can be divided into two main categories, SPD (severe plastic deformation) and melt base (crystallization from amorphous state) methods. Among all of the severe plastic deformation techniques (i.e. ECAP, HPT, and ARB), equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) is especially attractive because it can economically produce bulk of ultra- fine grain (UFG) materials. On the other hand, crystallization from amorphous state in bulk metallic glasses is a unique approach toward the mass production of nanostructure ferrous alloys. In the experimental process, crystallization of a – Fe phase during annealing process of Fe55Cr18Mo7B16C4 bulk amorphous alloy has been evaluated by X- ray diffraction and TEM observations. It is known from the TEM observations that crystalline a – Fe phase nucleated in the structure of the alloy in an average size of 10 nm and completely mottled morphology.

This paper addresses the concept and development of an intelligent education system  in concurrent engineering environment based on object oriented technique for conventional processes such as drilling, reaming, boring, slot drilling, end milling, tapping, etc. and unconventional processes such as electrochemical machining (ECM), electro-discharge machining (EDM), electrochemical spark machining (ECSM), ultrasonic machining (USM) and wire-electro-erosion-dissolution machining (Wire-EEDM) for manufacturability evaluation and generation of alternative processes for improving product design. A feature based approach for acquiring design specification is used. Then the system automatically generates all possible alternative processes and estimates machining (cutting) cycle time, and cost, penetration rate, and efficiency for each process.  The system works as a process of iterative redesign which suggests a way of using process information to find ways of reducing the cost of each design feature. It also estimates the optimum operation parameters for each process which balances between quality and manufacturing efficiency and to give designers immediate feedback about parameters such as the machining cycle time, cost and quality, efficiency and so on for optimization and give some advice to manufacturing engineers related to feed, speed, penetration rate, machining cycle time and cost saving.

Architecture includes a wide range of courses from only theoretical courses to only practical ones. Applying distance education for transferring the learning from teacher to student requires deliberation and exact programming. In this research, we have compared the level of learning of students in traditional education system with that of the students in distance education system in architecture field. For this purpose, students a course arbitrary choose traditional or distance education system for given course materials. Selection of studied course materials among specialized ones considering the level of action of its presentation will be illustrated in the text. This study is a semi-experimental research. The population which has been studied includes the students of architecture in associate and bachelor level program of the University of Mohaggeg in Ardebil during the academic years of 2007-8 and 2006-7.  The collected data is the result of the qualitative –quantitative assessment of these students in their academic courses and comparison of their level of learning with one another. The result of this research focuses on the success of distance education system in theory vs. the relative lack of success in practical courses. These conditions, different plan for practical courses in distance education system takes.

Recent research has revealed huge interest in pursuing studies on teachers’ cognition. The present paper is a case study designed to investigate a pre-service teacher’s beliefs about corrective feedback at the Iran Language Institute (henceforth ILI). To do so, a pre-service teacher called Ali (a fictitious name) volunteered to participate in this study prior to attending his Teacher Training Course (henceforth TTC) held by the ILI. In order to unravel his beliefs about corrective feedback and the sources of such beliefs, a questionnaire developed by the researchers was given to him to complete. Later on, an informal interview was conducted by the second researcher in order to fathom Ali’s beliefs and also meet the triangulation criteria. Two weeks later, after Ali was officially employed as an English teacher at the ILI, the second researcher observed his class to see how far Ali’s beliefs had altered after the TTC. The observation session revealed a modification and change in Ali’s beliefs. The findings indicated that his beliefs had rigorously changed after the TTC. The results are hence reported and discussed fully with possible pedagogical implications and rich areas of research for further exploration.

This paper identifies issues that arise from traditional university feedback systems. Traditional university feedback systems are undertaken as annual student surveys in areas including curriculum and teaching which may be conducted by the academic development unit, student union or at faculty or school level which generate statistical results. All universities around the world have such feedback systems. Some universities take the results seriously at senior management level, some only at academic teaching staff level and some only at a student level. A common problem is that these teaching survey results may only be seen by teachers, it doesn't matter whether the results are good or bad. In this paper, we present a dynamic curriculum development which systematically collects input or feedback from learners (students), teachers (academics) and industry panelists. We provide an incremental management approach to use these as a basis for new course development and strategic management of the improvement process of course development as well as a matrix on the measurement of how one utilizes the feedback for teaching and learning improvement and the value output from the triple feedback system.